clarke



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. I W. A. CLARKE.

TRACTION ENGINE.

No; 286,906. Patented Oct. 16,1883.

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2 H K R A L G TRACTION ENGINE.

Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

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g UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLARD A. CLARKE, OF STILLWATER, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NORTH WESTERN MANUFACTURING AND GAR COMPANY.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 286,906, dated October 16, 1883. Application filed Marclifi, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD A. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stillwater, in the county of Washington and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a traction-engine large enough to illustrate the method of applying thereto my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line w, Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line .2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line Q7 '12, Fig. 1.

* tion.

B represents the main engine-shaft, which is ordinarily in my construction placed across the end of the boiler and above the same. Upon the sidejof the engine where power is ap plied to the shaft, it may be mounted in any preferred bearings. On the side where it is connected with the driven parts it is mounted, preferably,'in a bearing of the character to be described, and which is indicated, generally, by the letter B. This bearing is provided with a bracket, 0, which is bolted to the side of the boiler. This is cast with the curved plate 0, one or more vertical webs, c c, a lateral web, 0 and a semicircularfweb or flange, c 0 is the cap-piece for the boX-or bearing, it being also cast with a flange or semicircular web, 0 which, when the cap 0 is in proper place around the shaft, coincides with the part 0 The power is transmitted from the main shaft B to the traction devices by means of a friction-clutch, one part of which is carried by the shaft and the other of which is mounted loosely around the shaft, said loosely-mounted part being connected with the traction devices by a chain, D, engaging with sprocketteeth (1, or in any other preferred way. The

" parts of the clutch are represented by E and F, the part Fbeing keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft, and the part E being loose thereon. The periphery of the part F is of the form of a frustuin of a cone, and with the external surface thereof the interior surface of the partE can engage when the latter is thrust against it longitudinally of the shaft. This thrust of the part E is effected by means of a forked lever, G, the ends of which have a loose connection with the part E by means of a loose collar, 9, and loops 9' 9, carried thereby and fitting the ends of the forked lever G. To receivethe loose collar 9, the part E of the clutch is formed with an elongated hub, E, which has a groove or channel to receive the loose collar g, there being a flange at 6, against which said ring can abut when it is desired to move the clutch-piece E away from the part I. It will be seen that the ring 5 being *loose relatively to the part E, it (said ring) will be stationary while the part E and its hub E" are revolving. The forked lever G is pivoted at g to a supporting-arm, g, the latter having a base-plate, g, which is bolted to the web 0 cast with the bracket, and also plates 9 g, be tween which is situated the arm G of the lever, the plates operating to brace and strengthen it. At the inner end the lever is pivotally connected to a forked bar, H, one leg or prong of the fork lying above and the other below the shaft B, they being situated transversely across the shaft.

I is a threaded rod, one end. of which engages with a nut, 2', on the forked bar H, the other end of it engaging with a nut at i, carried by a bracket, I. This rod I is provided with a crank or hand-wheel, '6 by which it can be readily rotated, and when the rod I is rotated in one direction, it will be seen that the shifting-lever G will be turned upon its pivot, and the part E of the clutch will be thrust into engagement with the part F,and when said rod I is rotated in the other direction, the parts of the clutch will be separated. I have shown the threads on the rod I as being in opposite directions, and when they are so arranged the clutch can be moved to and fro rapidly. By means of a screw for causing the engagement and disengagement of the clutch, I can force the friction faces thereof into a strong contact and hold them together with great rigidity.

By employing a forked bar, like that at H,

for connecting the screw-rod with the ship ping-lever, I can apply the connecting and disconnecting power to great advantage, it affecting the sliding parts uniformly on all sides. The screw-rod, it will be seen, moves the bar H longitudinally, and therefore greater freedom and play is allowed the bar than if it be positively connected to some stationary part of the engine, as has been customary heretofore when screw-shafts have been used for this purpose, the part with which the screwshaft engages having, in prior machines, been arranged to rock about a fixed pivot. V

Machines of this class are used, not only for traction purposes, but also largely as motors, being employed for the driving of thrashingmachines, separators, &c. It is well known to those practically experienced with them that when the engine is being used for such purposes as those last above mentioned there has been much impairing and destroying of the engine-shafts, as those engines have been heretofore constructed, from the fact that when the clutch-faces are not engaged the stationary part rests in frictional contact with the shaft, the latter revolving rapidly inside of it. To avoid the cutting and destroying of the shafts from this cause, I have devised and shown a form of support for the sliding part of the clutch, whichl have found to be of a superior character.

K represents a sleeve which is placed loosely around the shaft 13, and which is cast with a flange, 70, which latter is adapted to lie against and to be firmly bolted to the parts 0 0 above described, said parts 0 0 being stationary and held rigidly firm by the bracket 0. Around this sleeve K is fitted the sliding part E of the clutch and its hub E.

It will be seen that when thus supported upon the bracket independently of the shaft, the sliding part of the clutch will not at any time rest in direct frictional contact with the shaft, and therefore there can be no serious cutting or impairing of the shaft by it when it is stationary and the shaft is rotated, as it is when the engine is being used as a motor for thrashing or other purposes;

YVhat I claim is- 1. In a traction-engine, the combination, with the main engine-shaft, of a friction-clutch one member of which is adapted to be held staclination,

tionary relatively to the shaft, the bracket 0, secured to'the boiler and carrying one of the bearings for the shaft, and the clutch-support secured to said bearingbracket and arranged to support independently of the shaft that part of the clutch which can be held stationary, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the main engine-shaft, the friction clutch thereon, one member of which can slide, the bracket secured to the boiler, which provides abearing for the shaft, a stationary sleeve secured to said bearingbracket and adapted to loosely support the sliding part of the clutch, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the main engine-shaft, the friction-clutch thereon, of which clutch one member slides, the bearing-bracket secured to the boiler, which provides a bearing for the shaft, the flange or plate 0 c rigidly secured to said bracket, the stationary sleeve K, which provides a loose mounting for the sliding part of the clutch, and the flange is, rigidly secured to said sleeve and to the parts 0 c substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the main engine-shaft, the friction-clutch, of which one member slides, the means for moving said member, and the threaded rod having two threaded engagements, the two threads being of opposite insubstantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the main shaft, the friction-clutch, of which one member slides, the means for moving said sliding member, and the forked bar situated partly above and partly below the engine-shaft, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the friction-clutch having a sliding member, a shifting-lever engaging with the sliding member of the clutch, a screw-rod for operating said lever, and abar or link interposed between the rod and shifting-lever, it being supported entirely on said screw-rod and lever, and arranged, substantially as set forth, to be moved longitudinally by the screw-rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLARD A. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM F. BARSTOW, WILLIAM H. PEorLEs. 

